Necrotron's Top Games for 2013

This year has been perhaps the best year ever to be a PC gamer, with technology making affordable 1080p gaming and a number of less expensive and smaller, more condensed titles releasing such as Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons and Gone Home that leave a powerful impact entering the scene.

Games that ended up at the top of my list were those short yet superbly crafted experiences that told a memorable story that I remember for years to come. It's not often that you find yourself revisiting emotions simply by retelling a gameplay experience to a friend. And the Stanley Parable is a game I will looking to watch many a friend try. As Carolyn put it, “In 2013, games with distinctive visions made more of a splash than games with big budgets.”

Other games offered superb gameplay for the right kind of mood, such as Warframe, Rayman Legends, and Rogue Legacy. Warfame became my familiar, yet incredibly engaging game to play a few quick matches before bed. I found the nimble, fluid manner in which the Warframes could leap about and slice enemies in half kept drawing me back in. Rayman Legends was even better than Origins, and Rogue Legacy brought all of the nostalgia of 2D hack n' slash games into a new format that I found kept me wanting to play.

While I haven't found time to play through several games yet that would likely have made this list, such as The Last of Us, Devil May Cry, or Bioshock Infinite, I did want to highlight some amazing games from what I did get to play through this year. Let's just say, this year has been a great year for gaming!

Rank Game Release Date GameSpot Score Necrotron's Score
1

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

Most innovative use of storytelling and game mechanics this year. A short and engrossing story that will leave an impact. My personal game of the year.
8
9
2

The Stanley Parable

As an examination of the assumptions we as players go into video game with, the Stanley Parable has crafted a masterful experience that only goes deeper the further down the rabbit hole you trod. A must experience.
9
9
3

Saints Row IV

Running at 1080p/60fps on PC Saints Row IV puts GTA V to shame for visuals, and beyond that, it is just pure gratuitous fun. Whereas Grand Theft Auto based itself more in reality, Saints Row has embraced the over-the-top nature of it's genre and perfected it. Combine the Matrix Revolutions with Grand Theft Auto and tons of laugh out loud moments, and you have the fantastic game Saints Row IV.
7.5
10
4

Warframe

A quickly formed project and experiment in free-to-play from Digital Extremes, this co-op sci-fi title has really started to come into it's own. Combing jedi-like powers with the mobility of ninjas, this fast paced action game is great for some quick pick up and go action.
8
8
5

Rayman Legends

Platforming honed to perfection. Each and every level is filled with joyous music, creative expression, and a keen sense of what it is creating, a challenging and rewarding playground for players to conquer.
9
9.5
6

Gone Home

While some believe this game unjustly received high critical praise, the way this game tells it's story and the emotional impact it left had me thinking about it for days afterwards and wishing I could find another experience like it to play.
9.5
8
7

Rogue Legacy

With 2D hack n' slash mechanics based in the games of yore, Rogue Legacy applies the rogue-like hook of 'you only have one life' with the leveling up of modern day games with the ability to earn perks and weapons for your heirs after you die. While this sounds fun on it's own, it's the countless little humorous and creative traits such as Alektorophobia (afraid of chickens) that set this title apart.
8
8.5
8

Grand Theft Auto V

The best Grand Theft Auto to date, it contains all the grand world of Grand Theft Auto IV, but somehow it's simply more fun to play. Smart evolution of game mechanics in the series. While the game itself is very finely crafted, the age of the platform itself is really starting to show, and this game will fare much better when it gets a release on next gen systems or PC.
9
10
9

Tomb Raider

As a PC player, this gorgeous game is a brilliant showpiece of what current GPU and processor technology can produce. Thankfully, the gameplay is also really good as well. Best Tomb Raider yet, in my opinion.
8.5
9.5
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